As progress is made for affordable housing, a family of seven struggles to understand why they are losing their home.

Alfred Butterfield, 42, has lived on Perimeter Lane, Pembroke for ten years with his wife, four teenage kids and his mother in a property he rents from Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC).

His former home will now be turned into 38 units of affordable housing after the Government began demolition on the long awaited Perimeter Lane Project.

Yesterday he watched as demolition began on one of the two BHC housing units and faced reality - his family will have to move into the Pembroke Rest Home.

He said: “I’ve been fighting against this for three years and I wasn’t pleased because these houses are in good condition. I told them they would have to find me a four-bedroom house if they wanted me to leave.

“They’ve fixed up something at the Pembroke Rest Home and I’ll have my own kitchen, two bathrooms, four bedrooms and sitting room. “I’ll have my privacy, but we won’t be able to take our dog, Pearl. We’ll have to take her to the SPCA.”

The Pembroke Rest Home closed on March 31 after coming under fire last year over claims made that residents received sub-standard care and the facility was run down.

Mr. Butterfield added: “I’m not happy they’re going to move me to a condemned place, but what can I do? If I don’t take this what are they going to do next? Say we tried to help them and leave us with no where?”

The four-unit building Mr. Butterfield is in now will be part of a 38-unit complex, which includes 12 one bedrooms, 16 two bedrooms and ten three bedroom affordable homes.

Yesterday Senator David Burch at the groundbreaking ceremony promised “not a whole lot of talk and more action” and he said the development will cost $18 million and should be completed by September 2008.

After Senator Burch’s initial swipe with the bulldozer and once Mr. Butterfield and his family move into the Pembroke Rest Home, demolition will be complete.

The Perimeter Lane project has also been mired in controversy with concerns over the amount of new residents set to take up the property - that it was too big for such a small street.

MP Nelson Bascome, who represents the people of Perimeter Lane, remembers the outcry.

He said: “When we first heard we had some real challenges around it. We met with the powers that be. They have said to us that there will be some concessions. They are going to be doing some things that the people of this area can be comfortable with.

“Breaking ground for affordable housing is all fine and well, but as I told the Minister, it’s not that we’re objecting to low cost housing - we’re looking at the size of the project and the impact it’s going to have on this area.”

The development, however, will be a first for Bermuda as rent will be based on a percent of the tenant’s income to ensure no one living in a unit spends more than 30 percent of their salary.

The blocks will also include sprinkler systems, elevators and their own generator in case of power cuts

Perimeter Lane demolition starts